“A voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way for the Lord.” Isaiah 40:3
When Mary visited and greeted Elizabeth the mother of St. John the Baptist, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (cf. Luke 1: 39-41). This passage from St. Luke forms a theological basis that John the Baptist, while not conceived without original sin, was born without it.
Characteristics of St. John
These days I recall the 25th anniversary of my priestly ordination which is usually referred to as the “priestly silver jubilee”. I have had the honor to work in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem since 1995 (which included Jordan, Palestine and Cyprus) during the era of Patriarch Michel Sabbah, the first Arab patriarch of the Holy City, Jerusalem. I can talk about two aspects, namely the priestly work and the media work.
In the past, there was discussion about the interpretation of the conciliar texts. Now, the Vatican documents themselves are sometimes being called into question. Let’s look back at a document that has left its mark on the history of the Church.
Following is the text of the homily Chrism Mass 2020 delivered by Most Rev. Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Apostolic Administrator of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, at the Basilica of Gethsemane, June 18, 2020 in Jerusalem:
Most Reverend Excellencies
Dear priests and religious,
I greet you with the words of the Apocalypse that we have just heard: “Grace to you and peace from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the Firstborn from the dead and the King of kings of the world!”
Following is the homily given by Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster.Given for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, June 14, 2020, in Westminster Cathedral:
These last three months have been a very testing time. Whatever words we use: ‘lockdown’, ‘social distancing’, ‘self-isolation’, they all point to pressure on our relationships. This is a time in which all our relationships are being tested.
Most Holy Body and Blood of the Lord - 'Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in them'.
When we speak of our home, we do not think of the four walls of the house, but of the people who live there: our mother, father, brothers and sisters. Have you ever entered the house where no one is waiting for you now? Does it make sense to live in the cold emptiness of those walls? Does it make sense to live in the void of a faith? The Trinitarian faith belongs to us through the baptismal sacrament and places us in a family: ‘I believe in God the Father, in Jesus Christ the Lord and in the Holy Spirit, the Comforter’. We do not speak of a theory, but of Persons.
Following is the letter that Pope Francis sent to the President of the Republic of Colombia, H.E. Iván Duque Márquez, ON 5 June 2020 to mark the World Environment Day:
To His Excellency Iván DUQUE MÁRQUEZ
President of the Republic of Colombia
We live in the third millennium, in what is supposed to be a very advanced world on all levels; in times that should bring people closer to their inner selves, bringing out the best in each. Nonetheless, we witness the complete opposite; the start and persist of times exposing the collective failure of humanity to be able to survive without revealing its dark side, intriguing the worst feeling: FEAR.
This year the solemnity of Pentecost coincides with the conclusion of the month of May dedicated to the Madonna. The Holy Spirit descends on Mary, on the Apostles and immediately afterwards on about three thousand people from many countries. An icon that highlights how Mary is the mother and model of the Church, the symbol that concretely illuminates its nature and its path, in the great effort of discernment it has been making in these years. Pentecost is central for the creation of the Church as a charism and as an institution.
